Tuesdays With Morrie at Ft. Lauderdale's Parker Playhouse

FORT LAUDERDALE --- Harold Gould, and Dominic Fumusa, return to South Florida in the Jeffrey Hatcher/Mitch Albom dramatization of Albom's runaway best-seller, TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE. The National Tour was launched at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in September to critical acclaim and will be the third production of the subscription series of Broadway in Fort Lauderdale. Directed by Michael Montel, TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE will play a limited 3-week engagement November 29-December 18 at the Parker Playhouse, 707 N.E. 8^{th Street.}

Tickets ranging from $15.00 - $58.00 and can be purchased in person at the Parker Playhouse Box Office and by phone and internet at 954-462-0222 or www.parkerplayhouse.com, and TicketMaster phones at 954-523-3309 in Broward, 305-358-5885 in Dade, and 561-966-3309 in Palm Beach or at www.ticketmaster.com Tickets are also available through TicketMaster outlets. Orders for groups of 20 or more may be placed by calling the Broward Center at 954-462-0222 or Broadway Across America at 1-800-6GROUPS (647-6877).

Albom's book, "Tuesdays With Morrie," became a major hit when it was first published in 1997 and was on The New York Times hardcover Best Seller list 205 weeks. Having since been published in 31 languages in 36 countries, the book remains at number #9 after 139 weeks on The New York Times Paperback Best Seller list.

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE is the heart-warming and profoundly moving recounting of the relationship between award-winning sportswriter Mitch Albom and his former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz who has been stricken with ALS (Lou Gherig's Disease). After years without contact, Albom recalled a forgotten promise to stay in touch and, as he once he did as a student, reclaimed his visits with Morrie every Tuesday.  In the stage adaptation, the role of the gentle, aging college professor who once loved to dance with the same passion he had for teaching his students, is played by Harold Gould who brings the brilliant craftsmanship which has defined his performances since he first hit New York winning an Obie Award for the Off-Broadway production of DIFFICULTY OF CONCENTRATION. From that point on, Gould's career went non-stop making his first film "Two for the Seesaw" in 1962, with such memorable feature follow-ups as "The Sting," Woody Allen's "Love and Death," and Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie."

On television, where he reigned for three decades as one of its most active stars, Gould co-starred with Daniel J. Travanti in the American Playhouse production of "I Never Sang for My Father" opposite Katharine Hepburn in "Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry," and went on to such unforgettable roles as Rhoda's father in "Rhoda" and as Rose's mobster boyfriend in "The Golden Girls." Gould has recently been seen on the big screen as Grandpa in Disney's remake of "Freaky Friday" with Jamie Lee Curtis.

Dominic Fumusa, most recently of Broadway's WAIT UNTIL DARK opposite Marisa Tomei and of the Roundabout Theatre's A FLEA IN HER EAR, will be seen in the role of author/journalist Mitch Albom. An alumnus of the Off-Broadway production of Joe Montello's TAKE ME OUT, Fumusa will be coming direct from New York's 42nd Street Theater Row where he has been starring as Vince in TAPE, a role written for him by Stephen Belber. The film version debuted at the Sundance Film Festival starring Ethan Hawke.

On television, Fumusa guest starred in "Sex and the City," "The Sopranos," "Law and Order," and "Law and Order: SVU." The voice of Doberman in the film of the same name, he was seen in the role of Waldo Hernandez opposite Heather Graham in the film "The Guru."

Author and journalist Mitch Albom is a nationally syndicated columnist for the Detroit Free Press and a nationally syndicated radio host of his own radio show. Named the top sports columnist in the nation 13 times by the Associated Sports Editors of America, the highest honor in his field, Albom is the founder of The Dream Fund, a charity which helps underprivileged youth study art, and also a volunteer program, A Time to Help. In addition to "Tuesdays With Morrie," Albom has also authored the #1 international best seller "The Five People You Meet in Heaven."

Co-author Jeffrey Hatcher is fast becoming one of the most prolific and frequently produced playwrights in the U.S. His many award-winning plays include A PICASSO, THREE VIEWINGS, SCOTLAND ROAD and KORCZAK'S CHILDREN which have been performed on and Off-Broadway and regionally across the U.S. and abroad. Others stage adaptations include HENRY JAMES: THE TURN OF THE SCREW, Anouilh's LEOCADIA: TO FOOL THE EYE, Kaufman and Hart's THE FABULOUS INVALID and PIERRE, based on George Bernard Shaw's novel AN UNSOCIAL SOCIALIST.

Having adapted his acclaimed stage play COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY for the screen, Hatcher is currently working on the screenplay of "Casanova" for director Lasse Hallstrom as well as screenplays for directors Steven Shainberg ("Secretary"), and Kim Peirce ("Boys Don't Cry"). Hatcher is the author of "The Art and Craft of Playwriting."

Director Michael Montel will guide the production of TUESDAY WITH MORRIE. Mr. Montel's Broadway credits include William Inge's SUMMER BRAVE, starring Alexis Smith, Jill Eikenberry and Ernest Thompson and the revival of Carson McCullers's THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING, starring Mary Beth Hurt; and Philip Barry's HOLIDAY, starring John Glover, David Dukes and Charlotte Moore. He serves as Artistic Director for the new Performance series he created for The Museum of the City of New York, featuring such stars as Phyllis Newman, Judy Kaye and Daphne Rubin-Vega. This past year he directed Marian Seldes in Lovely to Look At.

Scenic designer is Michael Anania whose most recent Broadway production was LAUGHING ROOM ONLY, starring Jackie Mason. Among other Broadway credits, Anania counts A CHANGE IN THE HEIR, RUN FOR YOUR WIFE, CANTERBURY TALES, THE VIEWS FROM HERE and THE GATHERING starring Hal Linden. Off-Broadway Anania designed THE SPITFIRE GRILL for Playwrights Horizon, Tommy Tune's production of BACK ON THE BOULEVARD starring Liliane Montevecchi, and the City Centre Theatre's DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS – THE OPERA. National tours include APPLAUSE starring Stefanie Powers, and THE WIZARD OF OZ starring Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt.

Ellis Tillman, a 25-year veteran of more than 60 productions for Miami's famed Coconut Grove Playhouse, will design the costumes. Nominated nine times for a Carbonell Award, South Florida's version of the Tonys, Tillman scored three as the winner for BLUES IN THE NIGHT, THE DISPUTATION and for his work with Edward Albee's SEASCAPE. Tillman was also named Best Costume Designer in Philadelphia and by Miami's New Times publication for last season's THE CONSTANT WIFE.

The Fort Lauderdale engagement of TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE is presented by arrangement with Florida Theatrical Association, a non-profit civic organization with a volunteer board of trustees established to ensure the continued presentation of quality national touring Broadway productions in the state of Florida and is a season offering of Broadway In Fort Lauderdale.

Broadway Across America (BAA) is the country's most prolific presenting network of 50 North American cities offering first-rate touring Broadway productions and theatrical entertainment. Cities in the BAA network ensure their patrons that they are seeing touring productions of the highest quality in many of the country's top theatrical venues often direct from Broadway or on pre-Broadway tours. Over 300,000 season ticket holders enjoy BAA benefits to over 500 productions each season that include no-fee intercity ticket exchanges privileges, split city season tickets and priority purchase opportunities for additional entertainment events across the country.  Among others, Broadway Across America cities include Chicago, Boston, Houston, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Costa Mesa, Atlanta, Portland, Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore and Tempe.  Recent presentations include WICKED, Disney's THE LION KING, SWEET CHARITY, MOVIN OUT, HAIRSPRAY, BLUE MAN GROUP, RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR and DORA THE EXPLORER LIVE!  For information or to purchase tickets for touring Broadway shows throughout the network go to www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

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